Zankou Materials & Farming Guide: Ascension, Skills & Where to Farm

Zankou arrived as a limited S-Class character with Neverness to Everness Version 1.3 on August 19, 2026. If you have just recruited her, the fastest way to get her battle-ready is to plan around her two main progression bottlenecks: Nest Guard Fragment for character Ascension and Eternal Memory for Esper Ability upgrades. The official Version 1.3 notes confirm Zankou's release with the update, while current progression databases place NTE's character level cap at Level 80.

This Zankou materials guide focuses only on character progression: how many materials she needs, where each item comes from, which bosses to unlock, and how to spend Character Pixels efficiently. Arc materials, Console builds, team compositions, and combat rotations are intentionally excluded.

All Zankou Materials at a Glance

Zankou's materials are easier to plan when you separate character Ascension, combat Esper Abilities, and Life Skills instead of combining everything into one total.

Current post-release NTEBuild data explicitly identifies the second row as the cost of taking Basic Attack, Skill, Ultimate, and QTE to Level 10, while a broader current Zankou checklist published by AllThingsHow gives the higher 42/65/35 totals and also includes Dreamless Seeds and Fons.

*Do not add the second and third rows together. They use different scopes. Dreamless Seed is specifically a Life Skill upgrade material, not a combat Esper Ability material, which helps explain why broader “all skills” checklists can show higher totals than combat-only calculations. For final spending decisions, the in-game Zankou Esper Ability screen should remain the final authority.

For players who only want to get Zankou combat-ready as efficiently as possible, the most useful numbers to remember are:

86 Nest Guard Fragments for Ascension and at least 32 Eternal Memories for all four combat abilities at Level 10 under the combat-only calculation.

Zankou Ascension Materials by Level

Zankou uses six Ascension stages on the way to Level 80. The required Numeral tier increases as her level cap rises, while Nest Guard Fragment becomes the main boss-material bottleneck after the first Ascension.

These breakpoint costs match current Zankou pre-farm data and the post-release total recorded by NTEBuild.

If your goal is to reach Level 80 immediately, Nest Guard Fragment should generally be planned before ordinary Numerals because Numerals come from repeatable enemies and other general progression sources, while Nest Guard Fragment is tied to a specific Anomaly Hunt.

Where to Farm Zankou Materials

The following table covers the main sources you actually need while farming Zankou.

The progression structure is important because Anomaly Pilgrimage provides weekly-boss materials, Anomaly Hunt provides boss progression materials, and the regular resource stages can be repeated as long as you still have Character Pixels.

Where to Farm Nest Guard Fragment

The main Zankou Ascension material is Nest Guard Fragment, and you need 86 to complete her character Ascensions.

Nest Guard Fragment is obtained from Anomaly Hunt: Nestbound Bird. GameWith's current item database also lists Material Selection Boxes as an alternative source, but repeated Nestbound Bird clears are the direct farming method.

The Nestbound Bird is located in the New Herland District. After reaching the boss area and completing the hunt once, you unlock Fast Travel to the encounter from the map, which makes repeated farming considerably faster.

You cannot immediately walk in and farm the boss on a fresh account, however. The Nestbound Bird requires completion of the Anomaly Commission Call of the Lost before the fight becomes available.

If Nestbound Bird does not appear in your available hunts, progress your Anomaly Commissions rather than assuming you are at the wrong map location.

For the most efficient Zankou Ascension farm, unlock the boss, clear it once to activate convenient map travel, then return whenever you have enough Character Pixels until you reach the 86-fragment target.

You can use the current Nestbound Bird boss guide for its exact New Herland location and unlock requirements.

Where to Farm Blurred, Unsolved and Distorted Numerals

Zankou uses all three tiers of Numeral materials:

• Blurred Numeral

• Unsolved Numeral

• Distorted Numeral

For character Ascension alone, she needs 17 Blurred, 18 Unsolved, and 15 Distorted Numerals. Her combat abilities consume another set of Numerals, so do not stop collecting them as soon as her character Ascension is complete.

Numerals are general enemy materials rather than a Zankou-exclusive boss drop. Current farming databases list multiple anomaly enemies as sources, while Material Selection Boxes and the game's material systems can also reduce the amount of direct enemy farming required.

Before farming Numerals manually, check your inventory. Players who have completed normal exploration, Anomaly Commissions, and other progression content may already own more low-tier Numerals than expected.

You should also check whether the tier you need can be produced through Synthesis before spending a long session hunting enemies.

How to Track Numeral Enemies In-Game

NTE includes a built-in way to find enemies that drop character progression materials.

Open:

Exploration Guide → Enemy Shadow Elimination → Track

The Track option places the relevant Anomaly spawn locations directly on your map, making it much more useful than following a static farming map when you only need a handful of Numerals.

This is especially useful after you have already used Material Selection Boxes and only need to fill a small remaining gap.

Zankou Skill Materials Explained

Zankou's combat Esper Abilities use four main material groups:

First Expectations → Known Weariness → Black Hat

These form her standard Esper enhancement material line.

Eternal Memory

This is the boss material tied to later ability upgrades.

Blurred Numeral → Unsolved Numeral → Distorted Numeral

These general enemy materials reappear throughout the ability progression track.

Beetle Coins

Every ability upgrade also consumes currency.

For the four combat abilities alone, current post-release data lists 40 First Expectations, 40 Known Weariness, 64 Black Hats, 32 Eternal Memories, 40 Blurred Numerals, 40 Unsolved Numerals, 64 Distorted Numerals, and 1,748,000 Beetle Coins to take all four abilities to Level 10.

A broader current Zankou materials checklist instead lists 42 Known Weariness, 65 Black Hat, 35 Eternal Memory, and 1,818,000 Beetle Coins while also including Life Skill resources. Because these sources are clearly counting different portions of Zankou's progression page, this guide keeps the combat-only subtotal separate instead of presenting the larger number as if it were the same calculation.

Where to Farm Eternal Memory

Eternal Memory comes from Anomaly Pilgrimage: Debt Collector.

The Debt Collector is found in the Miguel District, near a cherry blossom tree off the road. It becomes available after you begin Main Story Chapter 5 and complete the opening cutscene. After defeating it once, you can teleport directly to the encounter through the map for subsequent clears.

Debt Collector's listed rewards include Eternal Memory, Hunter Points, Hunter Guides, Beetle Coins, and other materials.

You can check the current Debt Collector location and unlock guide if the Anomaly Pilgrimage is not yet available on your account.

Because Anomaly Pilgrimage is NTE's weekly-boss material content, it should generally be handled before you dump all of your available Character Pixels into repeatable ability-material stages. Prydwen lists Anomaly Pilgrimage at 60 Character Pixels per reward claim and identifies it as the source of weekly boss materials.

In practical terms: if a weekly reset is approaching and Zankou still needs Eternal Memory, farm Debt Collector first.

Where to Farm First Expectations, Known Weariness and Black Hat

The standard location for Zankou's Esper Ability materials is Houdinii's Schemes.

First Expectations can be obtained from Houdinii's Schemes, Hunter Exchange, and Material Selection Boxes.

Known Weariness can be obtained through Houdinii's Schemes, Hunter Exchange, and Synthesis.

Black Hat uses the same general route as the higher-tier material: Houdinii's Schemes, Hunter Exchange, and Synthesis.

Because the higher tiers can be created through Synthesis, avoid blindly farming a large amount of Black Hat before checking how many lower-tier Esper materials you already own.

A more efficient approach is:

1. Check the current upgrade requirement.

2. Check First Expectations and Known Weariness already in your inventory.

3. Use Synthesis where it closes the gap efficiently.

4. Farm Houdinii's Schemes only for what is still missing.

That prevents unnecessary Character Pixel spending.

Does Zankou Need Dreamless Seed?

Yes, but Dreamless Seed is for Life Skills rather than Zankou's combat abilities.

GameWith's current item entry lists Dreamless Seed as an item used to increase a character's Life Skill level and identifies Daily Activity and Hunter Exchange as its main acquisition methods.

This distinction matters because some complete Zankou material checklists place Dreamless Seed beside her combat skill materials, which can make it look like you need the item before upgrading her normal battle kit.

You do not.

If your immediate objective is to raise Zankou for combat, prioritize Ascension and combat Esper Ability materials first. Dreamless Seed can be farmed later when you are ready to invest in her Life Skill progression.

A broader full-progression checklist currently places the maximum Life Skill budget at 96 Dreamless Seeds and 38,400 Fons.

Where to Farm Hunter Guides for Zankou

After raising Zankou's level cap, you still need enough Character EXP to actually reach each new level.

NTE uses three Hunter Guide tiers:

Rising Hunter Guide: 1,000 Character EXP
Senior Hunter Guide: 5,000 Character EXP
Elite Hunter Guide: 20,000 Character EXP

These values are confirmed by the current character-leveling database.

The main repeatable farming location is Houdinii's Magic Stage.

This stage can be repeatedly claimed while you have sufficient Character Pixels, and it is designed to provide character EXP resources. Hunter Guides can also appear through the Mall, Exploration Guide tasks, Hunter Rewards, and general progression.

If Zankou is already Ascended but stuck below the new level cap, this should be one of your main Character Pixel sinks.

How to Farm Beetle Coins for Zankou

Beetle Coins are easy to underestimate because they appear in almost every progression step.

Zankou's six character Ascensions alone cost 525,000 Beetle Coins, while taking all four combat abilities to Level 10 under the combat-only calculation costs another 1,748,000 Beetle Coins.

The most direct repeatable farming option is Houdinii's Magic Stage. Beetle Coins also come from Daily Quests, Circle Bounty rewards, world exploration, Hunter Exchange, events, Mode Shop, and other progression systems.

Daily Quests currently provide up to 20,000 Beetle Coins through Participation milestones, making them worth collecting even on days when you are not actively farming Zankou.

If you are missing both EXP and currency, Houdinii's Magic Stage is particularly efficient because the wider Magic Stage category is designed around character EXP and Beetle Coin resources.

Best Zankou Material Farming Priority

If you are starting from almost nothing, farming everything randomly is less efficient than clearing the hardest bottlenecks first.

A good Zankou farming order is:

1. Eternal Memory from Debt Collector

Clear the weekly Anomaly Pilgrimage material before spending most of your Character Pixels elsewhere. Weekly-gated progression is much harder to catch up on at the last minute than ordinary repeatable materials.

2. Nest Guard Fragment from Nestbound Bird

Once your weekly boss farming is handled, work toward the 86 Nest Guard Fragments required for full character Ascension.

3. First Expectations, Known Weariness and Black Hat

Farm Houdinii's Schemes after checking Hunter Exchange, Material Selection Boxes, and available Synthesis options.

4. Numerals

Use what you accumulated naturally first. Track additional enemies only when your inventory is genuinely short.

5. Hunter Guides and Beetle Coins

Spend spare Character Pixels at Houdinii's Magic Stage when Zankou needs EXP or currency rather than another boss material.

6. Dreamless Seeds

Move this higher only if Zankou's Life Skill is one of your immediate progression goals. Otherwise it is not required to make her combat-ready.

Efficient Daily and Weekly Zankou Farming Route

For a practical farming schedule, separate limited progression from repeatable farming.

At the weekly reset: prioritize Debt Collector and secure the Eternal Memory you can obtain from the Anomaly Pilgrimage.

With Character Pixels: farm Nestbound Bird until your Ascension target is covered, then move to Houdinii's Schemes for missing Esper Ability materials. Use Houdinii's Magic Stage when EXP or Beetle Coins become the bottleneck. Anomaly Hunt costs 60 Pixels per reward claim, while general progression domains use 40 Pixels per run according to current progression documentation.

Without spending Character Pixels: clear Daily Quests, track common Anomaly enemies for Numerals, check your available exchange currencies, open appropriate Selection Boxes when you know exactly what you need, and claim normal exploration rewards.

This approach keeps valuable Character Pixels focused on materials that cannot be collected efficiently through ordinary exploration.

Should You Use Material Selection Boxes for Zankou?

Selection Boxes can save a large amount of farming time, but they are most valuable when used to solve a known shortage.

For example, Nest Guard Fragment and First Expectations are both listed with Material Selection Box acquisition routes in current item data.

Do not immediately open every universal material box just because you pulled Zankou.

First raise her as far as your existing inventory allows. Once you know whether Nest Guard Fragments, Numerals, or Esper materials are actually blocking the next upgrade, use boxes to remove that specific bottleneck.

That gives you more flexibility for future characters.

Common Zankou Material Farming Mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes is leaving Eternal Memory until everything else is finished. If you wait until the end and then discover you are short on a weekly-boss material, repeatable Character Pixel farming cannot immediately solve the problem.

Another common mistake is confusing Dreamless Seed with a normal combat skill material. It is specifically used for Life Skill progression.

Players also frequently spend all of their Character Pixels on EXP too early. There is little value in stockpiling huge amounts of EXP if Zankou is still blocked by Nest Guard Fragments at an Ascension cap.

Another inefficient habit is opening flexible Selection Boxes before checking your inventory. Save flexible resources until you know which material is actually limiting progress.

Finally, do not mix Zankou's character materials with the materials required by her Arc. This guide covers Zankou herself; Arc leveling and Arc Ascension are a separate progression track. NTE's general progression system treats character and Arc Ascension as separate material systems.

Zankou Materials FAQ

How many Nest Guard Fragments does Zankou need?

Zankou needs 86 Nest Guard Fragments to complete all character Ascensions through Level 80.

Where do you get Nest Guard Fragment in NTE?

Nest Guard Fragment is obtained from Anomaly Hunt: Nestbound Bird. It can also appear through applicable Material Selection Boxes.

Where is the Nestbound Bird?

The Nestbound Bird is found in the New Herland District. After clearing the hunt once, Fast Travel becomes available for easier repeated farming.

How do you unlock the Nestbound Bird?

Complete the Anomaly Commission Call of the Lost. If the boss is not yet available, continue progressing the required Anomaly Commission chain.

Where do you get Eternal Memory for Zankou?

Eternal Memory is a reward from Anomaly Pilgrimage: Debt Collector.

How do you unlock the Debt Collector?

Progress the Main Story to Chapter 5. Debt Collector becomes available after starting Chapter 5 and completing its opening cutscene.

Where do you farm Zankou skill materials?

First Expectations, Known Weariness, and Black Hat are primarily associated with Houdinii's Schemes. Hunter Exchange is another source, and the higher-tier Known Weariness and Black Hat can also be obtained through Synthesis.

How many Eternal Memories does Zankou need?

There are currently two common totals depending on what a guide counts.

A post-release combat-only tracker lists 32 Eternal Memories to max Zankou's four combat abilities to Level 10. A broader full-progression checklist lists 35 Eternal Memories. Because the broader list also includes Life Skill resources, the safest practice is to budget 35 if you want to fully complete her wider progression page, while checking the in-game upgrade screen before spending.

Does Zankou need Dreamless Seed?

Yes, but Dreamless Seed is used for Life Skill upgrades, not her standard combat Esper Abilities. It can be obtained from Daily Activity and Hunter Exchange.

Where can I farm Zankou EXP materials?

Farm Hunter Guides from Houdinii's Magic Stage. Rising Hunter Guide gives 1,000 EXP, Senior Hunter Guide gives 5,000 EXP, and Elite Hunter Guide gives 20,000 EXP.

What should I farm first for Zankou?

For most players, the recommended order is:

Eternal Memory → Nest Guard Fragment → Esper Ability materials → Numerals → Hunter Guides and Beetle Coins → Dreamless Seed.

The main reason is that Eternal Memory comes from weekly-boss progression, while Nest Guard Fragment is tied to a dedicated Anomaly Hunt. The remaining materials have more flexible repeatable sources.

Does this Zankou materials guide include Ravenous Blade materials?

No. Ravenous Blade is an Arc and uses a separate leveling and Ascension track. Keeping Arc materials separate prevents character-material totals from becoming misleading.

Final Zankou Farming Checklist

To prepare Zankou efficiently, start by securing the progression materials that are hardest to replace quickly.

Farm Debt Collector regularly for Eternal Memory, then defeat Nestbound Bird until you have the 86 Nest Guard Fragments needed for full Ascension. After that, use Houdinii's Schemes to fill your First Expectations, Known Weariness, and Black Hat shortages, while relying on existing inventory, enemy tracking, and general progression for Numerals.

When EXP or Beetle Coins become the blocker, switch your remaining Character Pixels to Houdinii's Magic Stage. Leave Dreamless Seed farming for Life Skill progression unless that system is an immediate priority.

The most important numbers for a Level 80 Zankou are:

86 Nest Guard Fragments
17 Blurred Numerals
18 Unsolved Numerals
15 Distorted Numerals
525,000 Beetle Coins for character Ascension

For all four combat abilities at Level 10, current combat-only data additionally lists:

40 First Expectations
40 Known Weariness
64 Black Hats
32 Eternal Memories
40 Blurred Numerals
40 Unsolved Numerals
64 Distorted Numerals
1,748,000 Beetle Coins

Because current third-party databases use slightly different scopes when counting passive and Life Skill progression, always compare your final stockpile against Zankou's in-game Esper Ability screen before converting or spending large quantities of materials.

For official Version 1.3 information and future game updates, visit the Neverness to Everness official website.